How Chris Ballard Can Fix The Indianapolis Colts

The Indianapolis Colts finally decided to move on from Ryan Grigson and many a great hire by landing Chris Ballard.

After three weeks of radio silence, Jim Irsay made the move Colts fans had been praying for and unceremoniously canned Ryan Grigson. Despite being gifted a future Hall of Fame talent in Andrew Luck, Grigson failed to build a competitive roster over five years. Grigson failed to add talent to an aging defense and was unable to build an offensive line to protect Luck. Just 3 of his 12 defensive picks from 2012-2015 remain with the team.

Just eight days later, Jim Irsay made another move Colts fans had been hoping for and hired Chris Ballard. Ballard had served as the Chiefs director of player personnel and helped remake a depleted roster under John Dorsey. Before this, he spent 12 seasons with the Bears. Ballard is as buzzy of a general manager candidate as there has been in the last ten years.

“I really feel, to me, that Chris is the best candidate for general manager that’s come about so far in the 21st century,” proclaimed Irsay at his introductory press conference.

This isn’t a rebuilding effort. Because of the presence of Luck, Dorsey has the power to transform the Colts into a perennial contender in a single offseason. Here are some of the things he must do in order to make that happen.

Cut the clutter

Ryan Grigson signed aging, mid-tier free agents like it was nobody’s business. Time and time again, he showed himself to be inept at filling holes in March. His rap sheet includes deals to such luminaries as Laron Landry, Gosder Cherillus, Andre Johnson, and Dwight Lowery. None of them remain with the team.

Ballard needs to clean up the mess that his predecessor left him with. There are simply too many players on this roster not playing up to the contracts that they were handed. Look at how much the Colts are paying their players on Over The Cap, and compare that to a well-run organization like the Seahawks or Patriots. The difference is staggering. The former Chief needs to consider cutting ties with the likes of Kendall Langford, Arthur Jones, Joe Reitz, and D’Qwell Jackson, among others, before free agency.

Re-Sign Jack Doyle

One of Grigson’s better moves in 2016 was letting overpaid receiving tight end Colby Fleener walk in free agency. In his stead, Jack Doyle proved to be a surprising talent as an H-Back. The former undrafted free agent was the Colts second best receiver last year with 584 yards and 5 touchdowns. He proved to be a reliable chain mover as well as a threat in the red-zone.

With plenty of cap room at his disposal, Ballard would be mistaken to let Doyle reach the open market. Something in the range of $5-6 million annually would be a very reasonable deal for the tight end.

Find an edge rusher

Robert Mathis hung up his cleats this offseason. Eric Walden will be 32 by the time the season comes around. Trent Cole will be 34. Both will be free agents. Neither are likely to return. Ballard is starting with an empty cupboard here.

Even with those guys, the Colts only totaled 33.0 sacks during the 2016 season. That was good for 19^th in the league. They ranked dead last in hurries at 64.

Ballard should look long and hard at the early rounds of the draft to address the position. Myles Garrett will be long gone by the time they pick, but Solomon Thomas, Takkarist McKinley, Ryan Anderson, and Charles Harris could all be options. This looks to be a deep class of pass rushers. While the free agency class is still fluid, Jarvis Jones, Melvin Ingram, and Nick Perry might make sense.

Address the linebacking corps

Ryan Grigson gambled and lost when he let Jerrell Freeman walk last offseason. Newly minted in Chicago, Freeman ranked as PFF’s top inside linebacker in 2016. D’Qwell Jackson, Antonio Morrison, and Edwin Jackson couldn’t get it done.

The Colt’s allowed 120 yards per game on the ground, good for 25^th in the league. They ranked 30^th in average yards allowed per rush. During their two most important games of the season, the team allowed 185 yards against the Texans and 210 yards against the Raiders. That has to change.

The bad news is this isn’t exactly the best year for free agents at inside linebacker. Perhaps they could sign a Sean Spence, John Mauga, or even take a flier on a Rolando McClain type. If Reuben Foster starts to fall down the board, Dorsey shouldn’t hesitate to jump up and get him.

Add youth to the running back group

Frank Gore quietly had a strong 2016 campaign, totaling 1,025 yards on the ground. The fact remains that he will be 34 by the time the season starts. The track record isn’t exactly strong for graying tailbacks. Gore is a relatively limited, one-cut runner who isn’t a factor in the passing game. Grigson thought he had an ideal complement in Josh Ferguson, but thus far the jury is out.

Related Story: Senior Bowl Review

Luckily, the 2017 draft is loaded at the position. While it might be tempting to add an immediate star in Leonard Fournette or Dalvin Cook, it would probably be a better use of resources to find a difference maker on the other side of the ball. Slashing Alvin Kamara, versatile Christian McAfree, or electric Curtis Samuel all might make sense in the second round.

Not only would a young back take some pressure off of Gore, but Luck and the defense as well. An improved running game should help out the offensive line play and give Luck better opportunities in the passing game. Additionally, as we saw with Ezekiel Elliott in Dallas, it gives them the ability to play keep away from opposing offenses.

Hedge his bets on the offensive line and receiver

The offensive line in Indianapolis gets a lot of flack, and deservedly so. However, the young group quietly played much better down the stretch last year. While the maligned unit allowed 31 sacks through week 8, they only let up 13 over the home stretch. Anthony Castonzo, Jack Mewhort, and Ryan Kelly look like keepers. Additionally, rookies La’Raven Clark and Joe Haeg showed promise as the year went on. A year of continuity should only help the young group grow.

However, Ballard would be foolish to count on that. With over $50 million in cap space, he has the luxury to go out and get a veteran or two in free agency. Ronald Leary, TJ Lang, and Chance Warmack could be available at guard. Andre Smith and Riley Reiff might reach the open market as well. With a weak draft class in 2017 and a lot of youth at the position, Ballard would be better served to invest in veterans.

The same applies at the wide receiver position. While TY Hilton led the league in receiving in 2016, the Colts don’t have a ton of depth or versatility. Donte Moncrief hasn’t been able to stay healthy the past two seasons. Supposed deep threat Philip Dorsett has yet to show difference making talent. All three of them are small receivers who don’t match up well against press coverage. Adding a chain mover like Kamar Aiken or Robert Woods would help the offense stay on schedule.